Amber Road Tours

FAQ

A word about email communications: We generally respond to all emails within 24 hours. If we are away from the office, 48 hours. If you don’t hear back from us within 3 days, please write again as we may not have received your message or you ours. Aggressive anti spam programs that some email service providers use block legitimate mail. It is most helpful if you can provide us with an alternative email address or include a fax or phone number with your message.

What kind of tours do you do?

We provide small group (max. 16 persons) package tours by coach through Tuscany (including its adjacent regions of Umbria, Lazio, Liguria, Marche), Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Basilicata and Apulia. All of our tours run from 8 to 13 days, using 20 to 28 seat air-conditioned Mercedes coaches. Using these smaller coaches we are able to visit the less touristed, off-the-beaten-path towns and villages where you’ll discover the best of central and southern Italy.

Who are your clients?

Our tour participants come from the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Will I need a visa?

If you are coming from South Africa, yes – from any of the other above listed countries, no. You do need, of course, a valid passport. Make photocopies of your passports and keep them separately.

How difficult is the walking?

Anyone who is reasonably fit would not have any problem on our tours. Our cautions about strenuous walking are intended for those who have difficulty walking in normal circumstances (i.e. at home, especially if where they live is flat) or anyone with knee, back or heart problems. You will need to be able to walk up to three miles a day, be able to stay on your feet for hours at a time and manage steep inclines and steps on our visits to hill towns. The important consideration is that when there is walking everyone is able to keep up and not slow the group down.

Do you have an office in the US?

We have one office, located in Spoleto, Italy.

Are you ASTA members?

Yes, we have been an allied member of the American Association of Travel Agents since 2004 (ID# 900145632). We also belong to the Better Business Bureau of Panama City, Florida.

Can I pay with my credit card?

We accept Visa and Master Card. 

You can also make payments via bank wire.

What’s the pace like?

The pace of our tours is relaxed, but active. Most of our morning departures are at 8:30, some as late as 9. Breakfast at the hotels begins at 7:30. There is a balance between group activity and free time for personal explorations. You’ll have a couple of mornings free and several afternoons as well. About half of your evenings are on your own.

Can you help us with our after tour travel plans?

Absolutely! We often provide pre and post tour Italy travel assistance – always at no extra charge. We can help you with train schedules, hotel and restaurant recommendations, and give advice as to where to go and what to do.

Is airfare included?

Our tours are land-based packages only.

Should I fly into Rome and take the train?

Only if you plan on staying 2 or 3 days visiting Rome. For our Tuscany/Umbria and Tuscany/Liguria tours, most of our tour guests fly directly into and out from Florence – this is the most simple and direct route.
The Tuscany/Lazio tours begin and end in Rome.
The Amalfi to Apulia tours begin in Naples and end in Brindisi.
The Sicily tours begin in Palermo and end in Catania.
You can book your flights into one Italian airport and out from another by selecting multiple destinations on internet search engines. The best that we’ve found for booking flights is www.sidestep.com.

Airport codes:
Florence - FLR
Rome – FCO
Naples – NAP
Brindisi – BDS
Palermo – PNL
Catania - CTA

How much luggage can I bring?

You are allowed one suitcase and one carry-on size bag. We suggest that you pack lightly – oftentimes our tour guests pack way too much and after a few days on tour end up shipping a large box of clothes back home.

How much time will we spend getting to and from our daily destinations?

Our itineraries are structured in order to minimize travel time – on average we spend about two hours a day on the coach.

Who will be leading our tour?

We have several very well qualified tour guides working with us, all licensed, all charming English-speaking Italians. After you have booked your tour we will send you a Tour Information sheet that will include the name of the guide along with a short bio.

Will we see you on the tour?

On our tours that come through Spoleto we’ll host you for a restaurant dinner. Whenever possible we also make appearances in other places. These are the highlights of the tours for us.

Are your tour departures guaranteed?

We have never cancelled a tour and are very careful to schedule only tours that we are sure that we can fill. In the unlikely event that it should happen you would be entitled to a full refund within two weeks.

Do you provide transfers to and from the airport?

Transfers are provided from the airport to the first hotel and from the last hotel to the airport or train station at scheduled times.

What kind of hotels do you use?

Most of our hotels are 4 star – when we use 3 star they are of superior quality. They are all located within historic districts or in panoramic settings. Most occupy historic residences or buildings from earlier centuries.

Will I have my own bathroom?

Yes, you always have your own private in-room bath.

Are the hotels air-conditioned?

All of our hotels have air-conditioned rooms. Most hotels in Italy use their air-conditioning only during the hot season and almost all shut it off after 11pm. Since our hotels are located in quiet areas and the temperatures at night are cool year round we suggest that you do as the Italians do - open your windows and enjoy the Mediterranean air.

I am traveling alone. Do you take singles?

We have space for one or two single travelers on most tours. Rooms are usually single-use doubles.

Are the meals included?

There are many included meals on all of our itineraries. In order to give you the best dining experience possible, we don’t repeat restaurants. The ones that we do use are among the highest rated in their area. You are on your own for approximately half of your meals. Vegetarians or non-meat eaters are easily accommodated.

What extra expenses should we expect?

Everything listed on our tour itineraries is included. Your only extra expenses will be for airfare, non-included meals, mini bar, telephone calls, laundry and personal shopping.

Do you take us shopping?

You will have plenty of time on your own if you wish to shop, but we take you on no commission based shopping expeditions.

What about laundry?

Laundry service is available through the hotels. It sometimes requires 2 days so if you’d like to make use of it you’ll need to bring your clothes to reception shortly after checking into your room. Laundry bags are provided either in your room or at the reception desk. For small items like socks and underwear you might want to bring a small bottle of detergent and wash them in your room.

Will my camera re-charger work in Italy?

Items like electric shavers will not work here unless you have a converter (the current is 220 volts). Re-chargers for digital cameras should have a built-in voltage converter (check your manufacturer's how-to-use book), but you will need to buy an adapter so that the plug will fit here. These are simple devices that you can find in airport shops. All of the hotels have hair driers.

Is smoking allowed?

Smoking is forbidden in restaurants, bars or any public buildings in Italy. We have a no smoking policy on all tour buses, at group meals and at all sites visited.

What’s the best way to communicate home while on tour?

Phone cards are the most convenient means – you can use them to call from public phones or from your hotel room. Most of our hotels have computer access to internet and Internet Points are easily found in most towns. Regarding cell phones - in order to create a tour atmosphere that is in the best interests of everyone, we ask that you keep them turned off while on the coach, in restaurants or when we are moving around as a group. The best way to be contacted while on tour, for emergencies or other reasons, is through our hotel fax numbers. Shortly before your tour start date we will send you a list of hotel fax and phone numbers.

Can you tell me about the weather?

There is a very good website for Tuscany weather history www.piedicosta.com/pdc_tuscany_weather.htm. However, the temperatures are listed in centigrade. To convert to Fahrenheit, multiply by 9, then divide by 5 and then add 32.

Do you accept children on your tours?

Mature children age 12 and over are welcome.

Can you recommend a travel insurance carrier?

Travel Insurance is highly recommended. www.insuremytrip.com has comparative rates and links to all of the major carriers.

What is an amber road?

The more scenic, secondary roads in Italy are usually designated on maps by the color amber.

“The Amber Road” was an ancient trade route from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. Amber is a tree resin, preserved and hardened in the earth’s crust after millions of years. Great quantities washed up on the shores of the Baltic and were transferred south along the Amber Road to the Italian peninsula, then along the Silk Road to Asia. The Romans initiated the Amber Road, their most important northern trade route, around 200 BC. Amber was precious, used in ornamental objects and was thought to have curative properties when worn around the neck.